is a large, bizarre-looking evergreen, The scale-like leaves are dark green, stiff, sharp-pointed and densely arranged on upwardly-sweeping branches, looking more reptilian than coniferous in character. Because of this it comes to no surprise to most people that this species is estimated to be around 60 million years old, based upon fossil record known today.It forms a loose, symmetrical, see-through crown, pyramidal in youth, eventually with a rounded or flattish top.

Along the coast of Oregon

Picture taken at Powerscourt, Co. Wicklow Ireland.

Close view of trunk.

Monkey Puzzle Tree, about 90 + yrs old when we bought this house. We had to trim off the lower branches.

My yard, Bremerton, Wa. Female left, male on right

That is; Duncan, (Vancouver Island) Canada. awesome form.

Juvenile Female Cone

Going to see a volcano! They just grow everywhere!

I can't remember the elevation of this site. That peak is a volcano. It's called Lanin.

A close look to the trunk.

A close look to the leaves.

Seeds brought from Patagonia. April 2006. (they were supposed to be eaten)

Seeds.

Pinyons of two different specie. A. angustifolia on the left (S. A. de Padua, Bs. As. Argentina) and A. araucana on the right (Neuquén, Patagonia Argentina).

Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina. January 2007 (summer). Small tree growing in the front porch of a house.

Tandil is a beautiful city where Araucaria araucana and Araucaria angustifolia co-exist without a problem. January 2007.

Berkeley, Ca.

end of a branch

young tree in Golden Gate Park arboretum, San Francisco

several trees in park, San Francisco

The photo was made in Dendrarium (Sochi botanical garden) in the middle of March, 1998.

8-2008, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI

8-2008, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI

8-2008, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI

8-2008, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI

Female cones. Photo taken June 30, 2009

Araucaria araucana seed sprouting.

Araucaria araucana seedling. This one is 4½" tall

A female tree growing at UC Berkeley Botanical gardens in California. In the foreground that is Nassella laevissimae, a grass with great cowlicks.